ChromeVox

Use the ChromeVox screen reader with Google Drive on the web.

Blind and visually impaired users can use Google Drive on the web with ChromeVox on any platform. Here are some of the ways that you can use Google Drive with this screen reader:

Navigate Google Drive

Download a doc, file, or folder

Upload a doc, file, or folder

Share a doc, file, or folder

Organize files into folders

Navigate Google Drive

When you navigate Google Drive on the Web with your ChromeVox screen reader, you’ll have a variety of keyboard shortcuts at your disposal. To bring up the keyboard shortcut help overlay, press Shift + / (forward slash) and your screen reader will read the shortcuts to you. Or, visit the full list of keyboard shortcuts in a new window.

To move to the next shortcut heading, press Ctrl + Alt + N then H

To move to the next heading, press Ctrl + Alt + P then H

To explore the specific shortcuts in a section, press Ctrl + Alt + Up arrow and Ctrl + Alt + Down arrow.

To learn the action for a keyboard shortcut, press Ctrl + Alt + Right arrow

To dismiss the overlay, press Escape

Here’s a quick list of keyboard shortcuts you may find helpful as you navigate Google Drive:

Share a doc, file, or folder

Share from Google Drive

Then, press . (period) to open the sharing dialog. The visibility option for your doc, file, or folder should be set to "Private" by default. (Note: If you're working in Google Apps, the default setting will be your domain's sharing default.)

Press Tab to locate "Add people: Choose from contacts." You can select the "Choose from contacts" link or Tab once more to manually type in the email addresses of people with whom you want to share the item.

If you'd like to enter a message to the people with whom you're sharing the item, press Tab to locate the "Add message" link and press Enter.

Visibility options

Private: Only people explicitly granted permission can access the item.

Anyone with the link: Anyone who has the link can access the item.

Public on the web: Anyone on the Internet can find and access the item.

If you select "Anyone with the link" or "Public on the web," you'll also have the option to allow anyone either to edit or comment on the item.

To change the visibility option of a doc, file, or folder, press Tab to locate the "Change" link in the sharing dialog. Then, press Enter.

Press Tab to locate each visibility option. Select the radio button of the visibility option you want for an item.

Access levels

Editors of your doc, file, or folder can change its access levels. This includes changing the visibility options as well as adding or removing collaborators. Here are the steps to disallow editors from changing an item's access levels:

Locate the "Change" link in the sharing dialog. Then, press Enter.

Select the "Only owner can change the permissions" radio button. Then, press Save.

Organize files in to folders

Use the Up and Down arrows to navigate to the files you want to organize in to folders.

Navigate to the More dropdown menu and press A to expand it. (Note: More only shows if you've selected something.)

Press the Down arrow until you locate the "Organize" menu selection. Then, press Enter.

Press the Up and Down arrows to navigate through the list of folders. Press the space bar to select the folder to which you want to add an item. To remove something from a folder, press the space bar to deselect that folder.